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This year, Employee Appreciation Day falls on 6th March. While an American idea, it is gaining popularity in the UK as well. This day is dedicated to showing your employees that you realise their importance in your business. Moreover, if you truly appreciate your workers, employee health should matter to you too.

Why?

Because your employees are a part of your business, and having a healthy workforce means good things for your business. It is in your interest to have healthy and productive employees.

However, even those who are only concerned about profits now know that employee health is important.

Here are some reasons why.

Increased Employee Retention

If you care about your employees, it will show. Maybe you offer them more flexibility in when and where they work. Perhaps your business has fantastic employee benefit schemes. Or, maybe you have a comprehensive health insurance plan for them.

Concern for your workers’ well-being cannot be faked, and when it is genuine, they can see it. The thing is, if workers know their employer cares about and appreciates them, they are happier even if they aren’t paid as much.

According to Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, appreciation is a human need. When we have it, we are happier and more fulfilled.

As a result, employees who feel appreciated tend to stay loyal to the business. When you improve employee retention, you spend less on training new employees. Also, you have fewer periods of low productivity while the new employees get up to speed with the work.

Improved Job Satisfaction

Like we said earlier on, if you genuinely look after your employees, they will appreciate you and the job more. In addition to improving retention, this appreciation will also contribute to a sense of improved job satisfaction.

This leads to happier employees who enjoy working for you, be more engaged with their work, and resultantly, more productive.

A group of happy employees giving thumbs up

More Productive

If employee health matters to you as an employer, you are more likely to be invested in their overall welfare. As a result, your employees will be equally invested in their job. They will work harder, giving you better results.

Taking care of your employees’ mental health also means that they are less stressed, which can be a huge drain on productivity. If their needs are taken care of, they can give their 100% at work.

Reduced Absenteeism

Sick days are an inevitable part of work life. People fall ill or are involved in accidents. These can affect the overall productivity of your business. While accidents can’t always be prevented, it is possible to ensure that your employees don’t suffer from ill-health.

How do you do that?

Having a healthy workplace can keep your workers safe from workplace-related health issues, including asthma, COPD, repetitive strain injuries, and more.

Additionally, it is also a well-established fact that stress can affect immunity, lowering the body’s resistance to infection. If employee health matters to you, you will also take care of their mental health and have mechanisms in place to help them deal with anxiety and stress.

Healthier employees are less likely to take sick days. This, of course, means you will see a direct impact on the performance of your business.

How Do You Create a Healthy Workplace?

In addition to providing moral support, there are certain other things you can do to keep your workplace healthy. It starts with something as basic as the colour of your office, which can affect mood, creativity, and feeling of wellness. Also, having plants in the office also has a positive impact on employee health.

It is also important to promote healthy eating. If you offer a breakfast bar or have a canteen or café, ensure that your employees are offered healthy eating options. In addition to eating healthily, you can also encourage them to exercise regularly. Cycle-to-work schemes are great for that, as are team sporting activities. These not only get your employees working out but also encourage team bonding.

A person cycling on a path, with green grass and a low sun in the background

If your workplace is desk-based, ensure that the furniture offers proper support. Ergonomic chairs and desks can prevent repetitive strain injuries as well as back problems.

Finally, it is important to make sure that the air that your employees breathe is free from harmful fumes and dust. While you may face more of these in certain roles, it is entirely possible to have unhealthy air in a regular office, where organic dust may accumulate.

In a closed room, this dust remains trapped, along with fumes from office equipment, like printer ink. While not harmful in small doses, these vapours and dust could adversely affect your employees’ health.

In some cases, it might be enough to have proper ventilation, but when the fumes and dust are constant, it might be worth investing in extraction solutions.

At VODEX, we offer a comprehensive range of fume and dust extraction systems for a variety of industries and uses. Check them out to see which one fits suits your purpose. If you aren’t sure, get in touch with us and we will help you find the right product for your needs. Give us a call or send us an email, and we shall help you make your workplace healthy and safe for your employees.

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